


Une boite de thon avec effets secondaires

by shinso



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-19
Updated: 2013-11-28
Packaged: 2018-01-02 00:59:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1050626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinso/pseuds/shinso
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Do you think shopping can change your life drastically? No? Think again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Melancholic winter days

Whoever said, people could only have fateful encounters with other humans was very, very stupid. That’s what Eren thought, as he paid for his groceries and left the store, he usually visited twice a week.

He took out the can of tuna from his shopping bag, mustering it closely. The label said something about how the content was one hundred percent tuna. Who even believed in those claims anyway? Not that they mattered right now either, this can was —

"Look, focus on where you’re going or you’ll be run over.", a voice echoed in his head.

"I know.", Eren grumbled to himself. He let the can of tuna fall back into his bag. "I know."

"I don’t like this any more than you do.", it sighed. Eren shivered.

"Stop talking.", he muttered. "It’s creepy."

"I won’t.", the voice spoke, determined.

"Just for a few minutes. I can’t think.", Eren begged, making his way past other people walking around this area of town as quickly as he managed.

"Well, okay.", it gave in, and Eren felt somewhat relieved. "Don’t be so relieved, you shithead."

"Dude, you came out of a fucking tuna can!"

—

"So you’re dead.", Eren sat down on his bed, rubbing his forehead. It was Sunday so he had no work, yet he couldn’t remember ever feeling quite as exhausted.

"Well duh.", the voice replied, sounding slightly annoyed. "If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be here."

"You shouldn’t be here! Shouldn’t you be in heaven?", Eren asked, letting himself fall back onto bed. Or maybe hell, he thought. Maybe hell was a more fitting place for the owner of the voice inside his head.

"That was rude, Eren.", it complained. "But trust me, I’d rather be in hell rather then stuck here without purpose."

"Sorry. In television, ghosts like you are stuck because they have some unfinished business on Earth.", Eren mused, getting back up. He was hungry, very hungry and lying around wouldn’t change anything about that.

"Maybe that’s it. You’re not half-bad, Eren. I don’t know what it could be, though.", the voice muttered. "By the way, what are you making? I can’t tell if it’s because you are, but I’m feeling really hungry."

Eren unpacked his bag. “A hungry ghost. That’s so creepy.”

"Watch it or I’ll haunt you for the rest of your life once I’m out of here."

"Yeah, yeah. I hope you appreciate that I’m making pasta for us."

—

"So, where do you want to go?", Eren pushed his hands deeper into his coat’s pockets, cursing how cold winter was.

"No idea. A graveyard maybe. Also, don’t insult winter, it’s my favourite season.", the voice spoke, sounding somewhat melancholic.

"Huh, oh sure.", Eren shrugged, just delighted that he could move his legs. It was better than standing around. The next graveyard of town wasn’t too far away, but he was slightly pissed he got talked into taking a day off from work. His free days were precious and he usually didn’t get a lot of them.

"Stop it with that already, don’t you want to get rid of me? Plus it’s only today so suck it up and stop complaining.", the voice groaned in annoyance.

Eren felt that its annoyance was contagious. He scowled and breathed a response. “It’d be nice if you could stop commenting on my thoughts.”

"No such luck Eren, sorry. I’m very bad at holding back."

"Don’t worry, I think I know that very well by now."

Such a headache.

"Take some pills, Eren."

"Shut up, you."

—

Once they were at graveyard, Eren took a break. Maybe he should go back now, just to spite that damned ghost.

"You wouldn’t do that, would you?", it asked. "You’d waste your time. I’d just make you go again. You know I would."

"Yeah, I know. Shut up and look at the graves. Maybe you’ll find your name at least.", Eren started walking around the snow-covered grounds of the graveyard, closely looking at every gravestone. The first row of stones didn’t bring any results, but at least that annoying ghost shut up and was concentrating.

 

"Can still hear you, Eren..", it muttered absent-mindedly. They managed to cover a few rows of the graveyard in seemingly no time. Yet no name seemed to ring any bell. As they mustered the last few graves, it started to snow.

Eren shivered. “Those aren’t yours either?”

"Yeah, they aren’t.", it spoke again. Eren felt nostalgia, that wasn’t his, wash over himself. Even if he could tell the difference, he knew both of them felt exactly the same right now.

"Snow…", Eren muttered under his breath.

"Hey Eren, you know, maybe I died in winter.", the voice spoke, a low chuckle echoing in his mind.

"Yeah. Maybe.", Eren turned to leave the graveyard, that was already covered in a thin blanket of snow. "But you still love winter. You love it a lot."

"True."


	2. The first clue?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren is told to follow a woman... but who is she? And why did he agree to follow her in the first place...

Their trip back home took longer than the one to the graveyard — Eren was freezing cold and hungry, so he stopped by a small, italian restaurant. He’s been there before a couple of times, but he still wondered where his longing for italian food came from. Maybe it was also—

"Yeah, it could be me.", it mused, as Eren sat down on a small table.

"You’re one hell of a weird ghost.", Eren whispered to himself, before ordering a pizza with salami and an egg on top. He only questioned his choice briefly after it had rolled off his tongue as if he’d said it a hundred times already. He was getting used to doing and saying things that were out of character for him.

"Maybe you can read my mind as well as I can read yours.", the ghost suggested.

"Yeah, maybe."

 

As soon, as the pizza arrived, Eren devoured it hastily and in big chunks. As soon, as the smell had reached his nose, he hadn’t been able to hold back. A sudden hunger had overcome him — he had never experienced anything like it. He usually didn’t eat a lot, either. Yet he didn’t feel completely full even after this much.

But at least he wasn’t hungry any more.

After paying and visiting the restaurant’s bathroom, Eren continued making his way home. Wind had started blowing and it was snowing harder now. He sneezed, pulling his hood over his head and tightening his scarf. The wind made his eyes water and it was hard to see, so he had to walk slowly. So cold. So god damn cold.

But he eventually reached his flat, breathing a sigh of relief as soon as he was inside. So warm… so heavenly warm. Maybe a shower would be good…

"Yeah, let’s shower.", Eren heard it say. Had he just imagined that suggestive undertone?

"Nobody asked you, creep."

"Look who’s thinking like that."

—  
His next day off, Eren engaged in something similar — he was headed to another graveyard, a little further away this time. It was still freezing, but at least it wasn’t snowing any more. He hoped to get this over with quickly, really. The whole area was covered in snow…

"Hey Eren.", the voice suddenly spoke up and Eren looked up to see someone walk in front of him. "That person."

"What is it?", Eren muttered, hoping not to be heard.

"Can you follow them?", it asked.

"Erh, that— can I just do that? Won’t that be suspicious?", he tried not to lose the person out of his eyes, while keeping enough distance between them.

"Please just do it.", the ghost demanded, sounding somewhat desperate.

"Alright.", Eren gave in, following the woman as she made her way along the street.

He turned to look at some of the stores or cafés sometimes, trying to gain as little attention as possible. It worked out for a good ten minutes, until the woman stopped in front of a medium-sized house, turning right around to face him.

"You.", she pointed at him, eyebrows furrowed in irriation. Eren would have jumped at her sharp voice, had he not felt such a deja-vu sensation upon seeing the bespectacled woman’s face.

"She… she… I know her. But who is she… to me? What’s her name again?", it pondered and Eren kept staring at her face. She looked so familiar for a person, he’d never met before.

"Why have you been following me?", she put a hand on her hip, narrowing her eyes as well.

"I… I’m sorry. I don’t really… know.", Eren stuttered out, awkwardly looking at the snow on the ground.

"Anyway, go home.", she sighed, shaking her head and turning towards the house’s door once more.

"No!", the voice and Eren spoke in unison, set on talking to that person, determined to find out who she was. Why she was important to them. To his mind’s inhabitant.

"Nice way to put it.", it complimented, humming in approval.

The woman turned her head towards Eren again, this time more curious than annoyed. “Why so?”

"I want to talk to you.", Eren took a step forward, then another, slowly closing distance between them. He stayed a few steps away from her though, as not to startle her. Well, it probably wouldn’t bother her either way, but better be safe than sorry.

"About what?", she blinked a few times.

"Erh… can we… go inside? Like, into your house.", he politely asked.

"Ah… Inviting a stranger into my house?", she rubbed her chin before shrugging. she opened the door and motioned for him to get inside. "Well, but only since you asked for it all politely like a good boy. But don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not living alone, so don’t try anything funny."

"Ah, I would never…", Eren stepped inside, looking at the furniture and interior design of the hallway. He stepped out of his shoes and put off his coat, not even thinking before he hung it onto the lowest hook on the wall.

The woman took his coat though, placing it on another hook. She didn’t say anything, just continued on further into the house. Eren gave his coat a surprised glance before following the other into the house.

Their living room was small and cozy. Eren loved it’s atmosphere — it smelt nice. She sat down on the small, green couch and motioned for him to sit next to her. He realized, she was waiting for him to talk, when she didn’t say anything, just eyed him expectantly.

"First… first of all, erh.", Eren still stuttered, playing with his fingers. He should probably ask for her name first. What a strange question though. "I’d like to ask for your name."

"Very smooth, Eren.", it commented sarcastically.

Eren had to hold back a retort to that as he waited for the name he had asked for.

"Me? I’m Hanji.", she replied and something clicked in Eren’s mind. Or probably not his, but his inhabitant’s. Somewhere in him anyway.

Hanji. Hanji Zoe. She was important. Someone very important to them. To the ghost. It brought a lot of confusion though. Someone important — but in what way? Was she a sister? A relative? A good friend? Lover maybe?

Again, what a headache. Eren sighed. He rubbed his forehead. “I’m sorry.”

"Sorry for? You’re really weird.", Hanji crossed her legs. "So how about you explain yourself?"

"I really can’t do that. I’m confused myself. Sorry, but…", he lowered his hand again, staring at his lap. "You don’t have to answer this but— has anyone close to you died recently? Or, I mean—"

"I’ll answer after you tell me why you asked that.", she announced straight out.

"You— well, you probably won’t believe this and it’s hard to explain but I have someone… a dead person’s ghost in me?", Eren declared, still avoiding eye contact. "And they seem to know you."

"Excuse me, boy. But… that’s somewhat hard to believe.", Hanji apologized, even if she still looked quite curious.

"Eren, there’s a spot in the center of the back of her head. Put your index finger on it.", the voice commanded. Eren looked up from his lap, raised his hand and as if he knew exactly where to move his finger, he touched the spot right below her skull.

The second, he started to massage it gently, her eyes shut and she let out a content sigh. It seemed so intimate and Eren thought he should have felt out of place, but… well, he wasn’t surprised any more. Not about how it felt like he’d done it a thousand times before, nor about how he knew exactly where to touch.

Acupressure wasn’t something he knew anything about. At all.

 

After a few minutes, though the woman’s eyes snapped open and she swatted Eren’s hand away. She looked positively shocked — almost as if she’d seen a ghost. “You—”

"Uhm… Sorry, I—", Eren started, but took a small break to think about something. Ah, right. "Insomnia. You got insomnia, right?"

"There… there’s only a handful of people who know that.", she muttered, taking a deep breath. "Well, I suppose you…"

"Yes?", Eren immediately inquired, sitting up straight and focusing her attention on her.

"You have my dead best friend’s ghost in you, then.", she nodded, uncrossing her legs and leaning back into the couch. "Though that’s still hard to believe, but… only he knew about my insomnia AND about the spot that would help to ease it."

"Who was that?", Eren inquired, now desperate to finally find out more, if not everything.

"Don’t you know, though?", Hanji asked. "He’s with you after all."

"Sure he is, but he forgot most things.", Eren sighed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha ha, it's probably painfully obvious who it is... I wonder if I'm going too fast.


	3. The past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is afterlife approaching, or...?

"His name was Rivaille.", Eren’s eyes widened at that. He didn’t notice everything, but a few of the memories, his inhabitant remembered infiltrated his mind as well. Some childhood memory — there was snow, a lot of it. He didn’t recognize any of the faces, but a group of children was building a snowman together. They were all laughing and had a lot of fun. This memory felt fuzzy and warm. Must have been one of the more precious ones. The second one showed a boy and a girl. They were holding hands — the girl smiled and the boy looked bored. She somewhat resembled Hanji. They were at school, or somewhere similar, but he had no idea what they were doing there exactly. Number three was a painful, vague one of a graveyard covered in a thick layer of snow. It was dark, lonely and cold. Hopeless. The last one was the worst, though. A strong breeze ruffled the boy’s hair, it was freezingly cold. Somewhere in the distance, he heard a chuckle. A hollow one. The city’s lights shone below him as well as in the distance. Something moved, then the wind changed to coming from below.

No… not the wind had changed. Falling. He was falling. For a long time, car noises and bad music filled his ears from a distance. But eventually everything slowly faded to black.

Hanji came back into vision. Eren considered getting something against his headaches later on — they appeared all too often now. Maybe that Rivaille guy had had a point in suggesting to take pills…

"Hanji… Hanji… I. I.. I’m sorry. So sorry. Hanji..", Rivaille muttered hurriedly, impatiently. "Eren… Tell her I’m sorry. Please."

"Wait, Rivaille.", Eren ignored Hanji’s expression of surprise. "I have a better idea."

Eren shut his eyes and focused on leaving his consciousness to be taken over by Rivaille. It was a little hard to manage to get out of his own head, but once he did it was just like floating. As if he was the one who didn’t belong into this body. Yet he knew he was and as long as he didn’t forget that, he would be fine.

"Eren, you—", Rivaille spoke. It was so weird to hear someone else use his voice.

"Mhm, just don’t forget to return what’s been borrowed to you.", Eren reminded. "But for now, just do what you need to do."

"Thank you, Eren.", Rivaille said. "Thank you so much."

"Eren?", Hanji asked, confused. "I thought it was Rivaille, who was with you…"

"No. We switched. The boy’s name is Eren, but he… lent me his body. I guess.", Rivaille explained. He looked straight into the woman’s eyes, before tightly embracing her. "I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, Hanji. Everything I did—"

"Hey now. So this is you, Rivaille?", Hanji asked, confused by all of the sudden events. All of it… wasn’t it just a dream? Maybe? Or was she imagining things?

"It’s me now. I’m sorry for… everything. I’m so sorry, Mayu.", he apologized, hugging Hanji tighter. Using her old nickname would surely remove any doubt about this situation being real.

"Mio… or. No, I think it’d be more appropriate to call you Mutsuki now.", Hanji ran her hand through the chocolate brown hair of Eren’s. "I’ll be the Mutsuki to your Chitose then. Or something like that. Maybe also Itsuki, but—"

"Oh, don’t be so negative. We will always be Mio and Mayu.", he muttered, forgetting everything around himself for a while. It was just great to see his best friend one last time… maybe this was, what he still needed to do, before he could move on to afterlife?

Somehow he hoped that it wasn’t.

"Alright, sorry. Mio. I’m glad you… found me again. Why did you—", Hanji started, but stopped mid-sentence, unable to say anything more.

"It was… well, I don’t know. After everyone… passed away, I.", Rivaille sighed, guilt tightening his chest. "I wish I hadn’t done this. I regret it. I regret it so much."

"I miss you.", Hanji stated, lowering her eyelids and stopping to pat his hair. "It’s lonely. Even if I still have… Mike. There’s no one, I can have talks with the way I had them with you. No one to play video games with all night. No one to help me with my insomnia and… and…"

"I’m sorry, Hanji.", he ran his hand down her arm, taking her hand into his. "I… wish I could spend more time with you. A lot more."

"I should have been there for you..", she breathed, lacing their fingers. "I could have done more… but.."

"Don't even go there. It’s not your fault.", Rivaille cut her off, he leant back and gave her forehead a small kiss. "Take care of yourself, right? You’re strong. You can do it."

"Mio, wait—", Hanji immediately spoke up, afraid of Rivaille already leaving. "Are you... are you going? Like… are you…"

"I don’t think I’ll move to afterlife just yet, but… I wouldn’t want to—", he broke himself off, when he noticed something out of order. His eyes widened in some sort of fear. "Eren?"

There was no reply. Nothing seemed to be there. Where was he? He couldn’t have— gone? Gone instead of him? No… no, this wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be. Damn it.

"Where is he? I… think I lost Eren.", he sounded scared, something he usually didn’t show like that. "Eren…"

"Mio, don’t lose your cool.", Hanji touched his forehead with her free hand. "Just close your eyes. Slowly. If you focus, I’m sure you can find him."

Without any more words, he did as told, concentrating on finding Eren. Or well, his mind at least. Or whatever he should call it. He went further, dove deeper, searched the whole of Eren’s conscious. Into his psyche, until he found him — somehow, he knew, Eren was there sleeping in a far corner of himself. It was mentally exhausting, but he pulled him out, woke him up, made him take back what was his.

And went back to occupying the back of his mind, just like before.

Eren had a hard time focusing on anything, once he was back in his body. Sure, it was his, but it felt sort of weird to be himself after giving it to his inhabitant for a while. His eyes were shut, but he felt something warm around him — he was lying somewhere. It was comfortable and he wanted to stay like that for a while longer. He heard something, some low noise. Someone was talking as well… it smelt nice in here. His head hurt more than before, though. Maybe he should open his eyes and see, what was going on.

He regretted his decision as soon, as he opened his eyes a tiny bit. His pain itensified and he let out a whimper, squeezing his eyes shut once more and trying to blend out the dull ache.

"Eren.", Rivaille spoke lowly. "Open your eyes. You can’t stay here forever."

"Just… a bit longer…", Eren moaned. "Idiot ghost.."

"Eren?", a different voice asked. A woman? Oh… right. Right. He was still at that place.

Eren dared to open his eyes again, this time looking around despite his aching head. He was still at Hanji’s place — now covered by a blanket and lying on the couch, he’d sat on before.Once he found himself able to focus most of his attention once more, he realized that there was a third person in the room now. A man was kneeling next to Hanji, both of them were facing towards the small fireplace, probably trying to light a small fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry. (Oh yeah, the nicknames, they have for each other are from Fatal Frame, which they used to play together in the past!)


	4. Past II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He'd thought, they were done, but then...

It took him a few moments to notice a yet another new presence in the room. A boy, probably around his age, leant against the wall on the far end of the room. He was eyeing the door next to him, as if he wanted nothing more than to leave, yet he didn’t move one inch.

Eren decided to stay on the couch for a while longer, as he didn’t want to disturb anyone inside this room. He didn’t want to put an end to the peaceful silence. So he waited until they were done at the fireplace.

But then what? Would he simply go home? Or… or was there anything else he had to do here? Just—

"Nah, I think it’s fine if you go now.", Rivaille spoke. "Unless they want something else, that is. But I think we covered everything."

"Yeah.", Eren whispered as low as possible. Nobody seemed to have heard him, but the other boy’s expression had changed, he now looked bothered by something. Eren jumped, when he found the boy glaring at him.

No, not glaring, he looked like a lion would at his prey.

Eren wasn’t one to get scared easily by intimidating looks, but right now… right now, he was just a bit uneasy. Why was he given an unwelcoming gaze like this one? He hadn’t even—

"He’s coming this way.", Rivaille warned. And Eren looked up, pushed his thoughts away and tried to appear fearless. Probably without much success, but whatever. He sat up, slightly pushing out his chest. Just in time, because the other, a lean boy with dirty-blonde hair plopped down next to him.

His fiery glare turned into confused suspiciousness quickly. Eren stayed on guard, though. Whatever it was, he had a bad feeling about this.

"How are you doing it?", the boy asked bluntly.

"Do what?", Eren asked in return. What had he been he doing? He had only been right there on the couch, quietly inspecting the room…

"Talking. You’re talking to yourself in…", the boy furrowed his eyebrows.

"I’m not talking to myself.", Eren huffed, shaking his head. He’d never talked to himself before and… well, it was different now that there was someone else in his head. Maybe it was something similar to it? But there was no way, that guy could have known either way.

"Is it really like talking to yourself? Is it like I’m a second you?", Rivaille asked with a mocking undertone.

"No! This—", Eren immediately announced, but he was interrupted just as quickly, as he’d started talking.

"You did it again.", the boy narrowed his eyes. He raised a hand, reaching out to touch Eren’s forehead. Eren leant back, not comfortable with the other trying to touch him. "You’re talking to yourself in your head. Up there. Around here."

He poked his forehead with one finger and Eren felt his headache’s pain increase twice fold. Something seemed to be pulling at his brain, his mind. Where that guy touched him. And he wanted to get it away, wanted it to stop. Enough of fooling around with his conscious.

… But he couldn’t move. Not a single finger. Not until the finger was gone from his forehead. As soon, as it was gone, he felt like a weight had been lifted from him. Similar to having one’s hair cut and feeling so literally lightheaded after it.

Just that he felt it on his whole body.

Or was he imaging things? No, it most definitely felt all light, but at the same time somewhat empty. Something was amiss.

"Whoa."

**Author's Note:**

> I've liked this sort of idea for a while now-- I hope you'll like it too! :) Reviews appreciated... I'm still learning.


End file.
